Working Under Sixteen
Ala. Code § 25-8-36 — at 14 or 15, three hours on a school day and 18 in a school week, and no work after 7 p.m.
No one under 16 is employed except in agricultural service or as the child labor law allows. At 14 or 15, a person may work outside school hours and during school vacations, but not in a factory, cannery, mill, workshop, warehouse or machine shop.
Who handles this in Alabama: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
| At 14 or 15 | During the school year | During summer vacation |
|---|---|---|
| At 14 or 15Days | During the school yearNo more than six days in a week | During summer vacationNo more than six days in a week |
| At 14 or 15Hours | During the school yearThree on a school day, eight on a non-school day, 18 in a school week | During summer vacationEight in a day, 40 in a week |
| At 14 or 15Times | During the school yearNot before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. | During summer vacationNot before 7:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. |
- No one under 16 runs sanding, grinding, mixing or laundry machinery, works near hazardous gearing, welds, or drives or directs traffic.
- No one under 16 works in the building trades, except 14 and 15 year olds in nonhazardous jobs for an immediate family contractor, or on ladders or scaffolds over six feet.
- No one under 16 works in a junk yard or lumberyard, around airport hangars or runways, or sells fireworks without someone 18 or older supervising.
A 14 or 15 year old does not work more than five hours straight without a documented meal or rest period of at least 30 minutes, and a shorter break does not count. The employer keeps time records with break times for workers under 19.
Students 16 to 18. A student 16, 17 or 18 years of age in primary or secondary school does not work between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on a night before a school day, unless the superintendent grants an exemption.
Sources for this section (4)
- Ala. Code § 25-8-33 — Persons Under 16 Years of Age Prohibited from Working; Exceptions; Evidence of Employment
- Ala. Code § 25-8-35 — Prohibited Occupations and Places for Individuals Under 16 Years of Age
- Ala. Code § 25-8-36 — Time Restrictions
- Ala. Code § 25-8-38 — Posting of Notice of Law; Time Records; Meal or Rest Period; Child Labor Certificate
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.